Mario Moretti Polegato
Crocetta del Montello, Italy
Italy
shoes, Self Made
$1,500,000,000
1425
#1425 Billionaires 2019
Mario Moretti Polegato founded his comfort-focused shoe brand Geox in 1995 with his patented his "breathable shoe technology."Polegato worked at his family's wine business where he got itchy feet, but it was a hot trip to Nevada that inspired him to slice holes in his shoes.He took his technology to Nike and other footwear giants, who were uninterested; he started his own company instead.He took Geox public in 2004 while also running the family wine label, Villa Sandi.In November 2018 Geox became the main sponsor of Jay Penske's Formula E Dragon team; they renamed the auto-racing team Geox Dragon.
Polegato gives lectures on intellectual property at universities all around the world.He developed his breathable shoe prototype in the mid-1990s with researchers at the University of Padua, a university established in 1222.
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